How to Keep Your Kids Active During Cold Weather

Across the state, below freezing temperatures are predicted
for the next few days. With the expected wind chill, many schools have already
canceled classes so kids, parents and teachers won’t have to brave the cold.

When you’ve got your children in the house all day long, it can be a challenge to find ways to keep them occupied and active. Instead of letting them spend hours in front of the TV or just sitting around on an electronic device, there are many ways exercise can be used to keep them busy.

One of the best methods: try disguising exercise as play.
This is a great way to get younger kids moving while channeling their energy.
Some easy ways to do this could be:

Test out kid-friendly yoga. Look online for videos that walk through how to do different yoga poses that are tailored for kids.

Play a game that gets them moving. Blow up a balloon and have your kids volley it to one another without letting it touch the floor. You could also lay pillows on the floor and have your kids pretend the ground is lava as they jump from pillow to pillow.

Start up a dance party. Turn on the radio or queue up your favorite kid-friendly playlist and then dance like nobody is watching. Have a competition to see who has the best dance moves or take turns lip-syncing their favorite songs.

Helping Young Athletes Stay in Shape

If you happen to have a young athlete in the house, there
are many ways that they can keep in shape even if they aren’t practicing or
spending time outdoors. Try out these exercises to keep their strength up and
avoid injuries:

Bodyweight exercises. You do not need equipment to get moving at home. Make up a circuit of bodyweight exercises to get a full body workout. A few examples include:

Push-ups

Squats

Lunges

Bridges

Step-ups

Burpees

Isometric exercises. These exercises simply require you to hold a position with tense muscles for a brief period of time. As you tense up and then release these muscles, it works them out. Pick exercises to work different parts of the body:

Plank hold

Wall sit

Wall press

Squat hold

Bridge

Lunge hold

Prayer pose/chest squeeze

Static stretching. Stretching is a great way to keep muscles loose. Make sure to take your time and go slow to avoid injury.

Once the bad weather breaks and it gets a little warmer,
don’t be afraid to let kids run around and spend time outside – as long as they
are still properly bundled up and protected from the cold!

Visit henryford.com or call 1-800-HENRYFORD
(436-7936) to schedule an appointment with a doctor or one of our athletic
trainers.

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A health and wellness blog produced by Henry Ford Health System, and designed to share our knowledge on a variety of topics – from tips on eating healthy, staying fit and reducing stress to advice on chronic disease management and news on medical research and health technology.